Much of the ice toward this exit of the tunnel had melted due to the fire in Polaris. Tucked away between a few of the remaining ice pillars lay the bird on a shaped slab of ice. From his vantage point near the high ceiling he could watch much of the activity in the tunnel and in Polaris. He had settled in and remained still, splitting his concentration between spying and keeping the ice frozen. The dragon was as he remembered: big, ugly, and reckless. It would destroy everything given the chance. It was a monster. Having nearly died the last time he put this beast to sleep, the phoenix was trying to take careful notes of its current behavior.

Astraea. Dropping his head just below the edge of his ice nest, he watched the ruby. Most of him didn't want any of the others to have to fight the dragon, but the bird knew they wanted to fight for their home too. Despite being such a great counter to such an awful creature, the phoenix was pacifist. He disliked all sorts of violence and fighting, and especially killing. So, the dragon had slept until now. Others from the pool started to show up, and others he didn't remember being there. They were all the same, they each possessed a gem that was their existence. If their gem were to be heavily damaged or destroyed, so too would the name behind it. It wouldn't be a problem if everyone could just avoid conflict. There was always conflict.

Water began to trickle down the pillars he mostly had to create, as now he had to let them go. The dragon's fire was in its own league. It was too hot, too dangerous; but his ice was in the same league. Too cold, but never dangerous. Complete opposites of the spectrum, but strong against each other. The flow of water increased as he let his vantage point melt. It sizzled as it washed across the ground and barely made it several feet before evaporating. He dropped slowly with his wings a bit outstretched for balance, riding the ice as it melted down. A foot reached out to greet the ground, and the whole thing ended quite gracefully. He dropped to nearly lay on the ground. If he stood, he would be too tall. He didn't want to seem above any of them, because he wasn't. He was the same as them, too.

"Friends," he crooned, looking over them before settling on Astraea. There was a moment where he just stared. In truth, it was barely a few seconds, but he looked into the stag and was regretful. "There are more than I expected," he said, glancing back to the gembounds. He didn't want any of them to risk their lives against the dragon. He could feel their adrenaline and their will to fight. The energy was becoming palpable. Though he was innately tuned to much of the natural world, it was hard to miss this. He valued all life and wondered if they knew just how dangerous the dragon was. While he didn't want the children to fight, he especially didn't want Astraea to fight. What had happened that caused him to form a new body? If he could help it, the phoenix didn't want his partner to have to go through another experience like that.

Again, he wondered how long it had been.

Scents quickly enveloped Arkrael's sense as she hurried through the area. There was one scent that was familiar, but it wasn't until she got even closer that she found a second familiar. Leon and Fisher were here. Her audits lifted as she trotted over to the gathered group, first greeting Fisher with a quick wag of her tail and a short nuzzle to the top of his head before she turned her focus to the bear. "Leon," She greeted as she slowed to a stop just beside him. She turned her focus to the others that had gathered for the task at hand and wondered if that was all that would stand against the beast of the dragon. "I'm assuming Makyna is not joining this?" It was a silly question and she knew the bear probably requested his lover to stay behind to keep her safe.

Audit's twitched and turned, drawing her gaze towards the large blue spoke. He called them friends and she offered a small grin in response. She couldn't find any words to give, so instead she paced a moment before plopping down on her haunches and watched everyone. Curious to see what plan they would make, Arkrael was still a bit nervous to be going up against the dragon she had yet to set her eyes upon.

"Speech"
'Thoughts'

---

Tags:
OoC: beh

Delphine was not a fighter in any sense of the word. She was born without some such violent inclinations and even now as she neared Polaris, her heart thundered with trepidation. In truth, the young adolescent had contemplated not joining the effort to fell the draconian beast; not from fear but that she would be more of a hindrance than anything else. Yet even so, the utter need to protect her home and fellow Gembounds overrode any some such whims and though late, she found herself among a congregation of creatures who she'd yet to lay eyes upon. There were few familiar faces and it was to them who she gravitated closely to.

Her black lips brushed fondly against Arkrael's shoulder before she nickered a hushed greeting. "Hello Arkrael." She would have said more but at that exact moment, words were lost on her. What could she say in a situation as this? It was clear that among those who'd come together, she was the youngest and weakest but she refused to be intimidated by age and inexperience. There had to be something to be done, even for someone as herself and she pinned those hopes well and true upon her heart. Her emerald gaze drifted past the unfamiliar faces before settling on the stag called Astraea and his phoenix companion.

She spoke. "I know I am young and without experience but I can still offer assistance." Delphine stopped, confidence ebbing and flowing with each word that passed but again, her determination won through. "I can help." It was a final assertion and though her voice still tremble and shook, there was an iron-glint to her eyes.

Gradually, the rest of the Gembounds had filed into the tunnel. First to arrive was the blind owl, whose piercing green gem-eyes radiated through the darkness until he had stumbled and rolled into the stag's leg. Twisting his ears back, the deer stepped and raised his hoof, looking down at the owl sympathetically. "Are you alright?" He asked, though it seemed others were quick to join them - next was the half-face fox who trudged in, snarling and sneering until he caught sight of the dragon, at which point he cursed and the smile fled from his jaws. Next, a fat bear came running in, panting as he informed them that more Gembounds from Cetus were coming - Aquarian's friends, he had to assume. Sure enough, an alligator, a komodo dragon and a boar followed. The former was immensely excited at the challenge of fighting the dragon, while the komodo was quiet and the boar squealed his delight. A fisher and a black dog came next, concerned but pledging to fight the beast in Polaris.

He recognized Bevy from Pisces and bowed his head to the small bird, grateful that she'd taken the time to set up a station to which the injured could go. They would need all the help they could get, especially from somebody who knew how to mend wounds. "Thank you, Bevy." The stag said before she'd left. A lioness had been with her, branching away to speak to the fat bear, but the stag paid little attention; Arkrael had appeared not long after, and he nodded to her, too. At that point, the phoenix had revealed himself. He first heard the sizzling of ice as it suddenly melted against the heat; the stag swung his head to face the massive, gleaming bird as he descended from his perch and joined them, bringing with him a natural gust of cold.

The stag stared with awe at the bird, blinking and stepping back as he addressed them before settling his gaze on the deer. He nodded, glancing back to the crowd. "More to fight against him." The dragon. The more they had... the better their chances of winning. That was for sure. The stag's shoulders dropped slightly with a small sigh, at which point he watched one last Gembound join them. The young, black horse that had appeared in Pisces as well, the one to help stop the waterfall. "You've done more than enough to help as it is." He said sincerely, looking now to the phoenix before returning his gaze to Delphine. "But you must understand, it will be a dangerous task."

He spoke, then cleared his throat and stepped back again, addressing the whole group. "That beast in there will not hesitate to set you aflame. He is unlike many of the Gembounds you've met in this cave - he is a monster. Heartless and without mercy. If you wish to escape this battle alive, then you must exercise caution. Bevy has graciously set up a station further down the tunnel for anyone that has been wounded. If you are hurt, help yourselves, and help others - we will never succeed if we turn against each other." His words were a pointed warning and an ominous reference to the chaos that had unfolded before. "We will enter Polaris from this entrance, but when we do, do not follow me - you must spread yourselves out along the wall, in every direction, else the dragon will eliminate us in a single breath. Do not flock together. Hit him from every angle, and run." Never stay still. It was their only defense against a creature so titanic.

With a sharp breath, his gaze flickered over the group. "Is everyone ready?"

{ art by dark } ~ { table by aura aka rare . edited by banshee and dark }